Leon rose before dawn, blinking away the lingering haze of sleep. The only sound in the house was the faint crackle of embers from the night's fire. Normally, Michael would already be awake, rolling his shoulders in preparation for Robert's daily drills. But not today. After Aiden's brutal thrashing, his brother's bruised body demanded rest, breath rasping in the silence.

  Tiptoeing past a creaky floorboard, Leon peered into Michael's room. His brother sprawled on his back, snoring softly, a fresh bandage draping his forehead. Beside him, Joyce slumped in a chair, head tilted in fitful sleep, her scarred hand—red and blistered from divinity's toll—resting near his. The faint glow of last night's healing lingered in the air, a silent testament to her sacrifice. Leon's brow creased. I won't let him bear it alone again—not after yesterday, he thought, guilt flickering. Another fight like that, and I could lose another brother.

  His small robot beeped in agreement.

  "We have work to do," Leon murmured. "No sleeping in for us today."

  Descending the stairs with quiet precision, the robot perched on his shoulder, Leon made his way to the old trunk Robert had shown him. With a grunt, he flipped open its heavy lid, revealing a tangle of translucent shards. He carefully gathered them into a pack and carried them up to his workshop.

  Systematic Examination

  At his workbench, Leon spread the shards out under the soft morning light. He methodically arranged them by size and shape before beginning his observations.

  Dimensional Analysis

  Using a battered caliper, he measured each shard's length and width, recording the details in his ledger. The robot emitted a disapproving beep whenever Leon misaligned the caliper, prompting frustrated sighs as he double-checked his measurements.

  Mechanical Testing

  Next, with a tiny hammer, he tapped each, noting their high-pitched resonance. "Frequency test," he muttered, wincing at the sharp tink echoing through.Key Observations

  The crystals appeared identical at a glance, with no visible flaws or fractures. However, under a 5x magnifier, Leon detected a subtle anomaly—one shard bore a faint sliver of reddish vein at its core.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "I'll call you Red," he said, making a note in his journal.

  Further analysis revealed that while all the shards weighed the same, Red was precisely 0.01 grams heavier. Its resonance also differed, producing a subtly deeper tone when struck.

  "The density must be different," Leon murmured. "Materially identical, but Red is an exception."

  His robot beeped approvingly.

  Forming a Hypothesis

  Leon moved to the chalkboard, chalk tapping against its surface as he worked through his thoughts.

  From Robert's account, the warrior he fought had used these crystals to enhance elemental abilities. Initially, each crystal had a distinct color, but over time they had faded to translucence.

  Hypothesis 1 – Decay—entropy leakage. If color correlates with stored elemental energy, prolonged storage may have led to energy leakage. Energy behaves like tension in my bowcoil—it cannot remain indefinitely without loss. If these shards are storage devices, the next step is to determine how to recharge them.

  The robot beeped in agreement, its lights flashing as if ready for more tests.

  Experimental Trials

  Leon selected an ordinary shard—designated X—and exposed it to various elements. A candle's flame produced no change in color or temperature. Water, earth, and a controlled breeze had equally negligible effects.

  By mid-afternoon, beads of sweat dotted Leon's forehead. Hours of careful testing had yielded no progress. He took a step back, surveying his work. Pages of notes, measurements, and theories sprawled across the workbench in a frenzied display.

  "That's everything I can think of on my own," he admitted, rubbing a cramp from his neck.

  The robot tapped its metal foot, letting out a sympathetic beep.

  Leon flipped to a fresh page in his ledger.

  Hypothesis 2 – The crystals may require specific conditions to activate, such as incantations, extreme temperatures, or exposure to elemental magic.

  His eyes lingered on Red, resting alone at the center of the workbench. Its faint ruby glow seemed almost accusatory. I must discover the right questions to ask.

  Seeking an Expert

  Leon couldn't ignore the obvious. If the previous owner used fire magic, he needed someone who could wield flames. Unfortunately, the only confirmed fire mage in Norwood Valley was Suzan—a shrewd eight-year-old girl known for charging outrageous fees (or bizarre favors) for every spark she conjured.

  Leon sighed. "It can't be helped."

  He had once seen Suzan charge two silver coins just to heat a pot of tea. Negotiating with her would be tricky, but she was his best option.

  Carefully wrapping Red in cloth, he tucked it into a small leather pouch. His gaze drifted to the scattered shards, sketches, and half-finished devices cluttering the workshop. Guilt gnawed at him. Michael is upstairs recovering, and I'm down here playing with stones.

  Then he recalled the pain in Michael's face after the last fight. That image hardened his resolve.

  Strapping the pouch over his shoulder, he gave the robot a quick pat on the head. "Let's see if she's as tough to bargain with as everyone says."

  Stepping outside into the late-afternoon sun, he set off toward Suzan's home, the robot grasping tightly to his shoulder.